My Trip to The Harn Museum of ArtBy Artem Pimenov

Medium of the Art / Technique of the Artist

It is very important to distinguish how valuable seeing art in person is. On a screen, paintings, sketches, sculptures, etc. are just 2D representations of a grander image. The artwork you see in a museum is physical and dynamic, that not only allows to see the concept, but the physicality of the art and the way the artist created the concept. For example, with the Oat field painted by Monet, you can see the individual brushstrokes of the artist that create trees, plants and clouds. Seeing the artwork and learning that Monet would go out in the field and paint an image during the day showed me a glimpse into his life. This same way Shiva with His Consort Uma, created in the 10th century, gave me insight into the world of that time. I experienced an artwork that is 1100 years older than me and the realization of that gives an absolute astonishment to me. It seems like a giant privilege to witness this single moment in history.

Design of the Museum

My favorite part of the museum, and for a lot of others, is the Asian Wing. The mahogany wood accentuates the large sculptures on the exhibition floor. The white sculpture stands create a pleasant balance from the mahogany and the large windows with a beautiful view of the Asian Garden. The low glow from the lighting allows for most visible light to be natural, streaming through the windows. The floor sculptures are only ones in the center of the gallery, with others strewn around the room, closer to the walls. This allows for people just entering the Wing to see a large open space with the garden in the background. The exhibit makes me feel like I am surrounded by nature and its creation.

Art and Core Values

When I stepped into the Harn Museum of Art, one of the first art pieces I saw was the Old Man’s Cloth, which is both grand in size and intricate in detail. The sculpture was created from bottle caps which gives it a rustic look, that glistens in the sunlight beaming through the large windows. This piece resembles the motifs of impressionism and abstraction due to the disassembly of its focus as well as the unification of many individual touches from the artist. The sculpture flows like a true piece of cloth affected by the wind. The sculpture contains various colors of bottle caps relaying the general disarray of colors in a quilt typical to an old man. I believe this sculpture gives me a calm and tranquil feeling due to an association it brings with being at home with family.

Art and the Good Life

I think an important addition to the Harn recently has been the Spotlight: Latin America section that shows a wonderful collection of Latin American artwork and cultural icons. I believe this is an important addition to the museum because I think learning about the cultures of people around you is a way to become more open-minded, understanding and educated. Because of this, I thoroughly believe each museum should contain galleries dedicated to the art from the largest minority group in the United States. Sharing culture is a guide for sharing the Good Life and supporting each other through that journey. The cultural icons in the middle of the gallery are a wonderful example of the Sharing of the Good Life and giving insight into other cultures.